43 Trade School Jobs Among the Highest Paying Trades

Here's why it can pay to attend a trade school: Jobs that provide good incomes are often more easily obtained after training at one. The simple fact is that many of the highest paying trades in America are filled with people who began their careers with a short skills-based education from a vocational or technical college.

And the potential benefits don't stop there. Beyond just being among the highest paying, trade jobs are also frequently some of the most satisfying. After all, they often involve a lot of physical, hands-on work while still being very mentally engaging. Just think back to the joy you felt as a kid when you got to help build, create, or fix something tangible. It probably gave you a real sense of pride, achievement, and confidence.

So by pursuing this type of path, you give yourself an opportunity to gain more financial prosperity, as well as true enjoyment while earning it. Plus, many of the best trade school jobs offer something else: a genuine chance at career security and advancement.

23 High-Paying Skilled Trades in America

The following trade school jobs list features many occupations for which training programs are often easy to find. However, it doesn't include some of the jobs for which it may be more common to begin training as an apprentice directly with an employer.

An example would be a trade such as electrical power line repair since many energy utilities provide their own in-house programs. Other high-paying examples might include areas like elevator repair, structural ironwork, rail car repair, or telecommunications repair. Even so, many people pursuing those types of careers still find it beneficial to get a pre-apprenticeship education from a trade school before approaching potential employers.

So here are some of America's highest paying trade school jobs. (The cited wages are from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' May 2016 estimates.**)

Main tasks—Installing, testing, and fixing high-tech equipment used in space vehicles or aircraft for purposes like navigation, radar detection, weather tracking, radio communications, and weapons control

Main tasks—Inspecting, troubleshooting, and repairing motor vehicle engines and other important systems and components

20 Additional High-Paying Vocations in America

Some people consider a trade to be any occupation that requires a very specific set of mid- to high-level skills. So by broadening the definition beyond areas like construction, mechanical repair, and industrial work, it quickly becomes apparent that many of the highest paid trade jobs can be found in other sectors such as technology and health care. Plus, like the occupations listed above, the following examples also tend to involve a lot of deeply engaging (and often hands-on) tasks.

Main tasks—Helping people improve their ability to lead normal day-to-day lives in spite of limitations caused by illness, injury, or disability

Big Demand for Many of America's Highest Paid Trades

Over recent years, several employer surveys have found that skilled trade jobs are some of the hardest to fill. And in many regions throughout the U.S., a shortage of qualified tradespeople is becoming the new norm, especially as a lot of older workers from the Baby Boomer generation begin retiring.

In fact, in 2015, half of all American tradespeople in the repair and maintenance sector were above the age of 42.5. In the construction sector, half were over the age of 42.7. In the manufacturing sector, half were above the age of 44.4. And in the utilities sector, half were over the age of 46.1.*

As a result, employers in many growing industries are actively recruiting the next generation of tradesmen and women. High-tech manufacturing, construction, and oil and gas extraction companies are just a few examples.

And you can probably imagine what would happen if America didn't have qualified people in the trades. Everything that we rely on for our way of life would begin to crumble. From roads and bridges to pipes and electricity, almost our entire modern infrastructure is built, maintained, and repaired by skilled tradespersons. It's the type of work that cannot simply be outsourced overseas. It must be done locally.

That's why a lot of the highest paying trade school careers also have bright outlooks going forward. The market for people with these skills is expected to be very large for decades to come.

How to Find the Education You'll Need

Clearly, there are plenty of trade school jobs in demand. And you don't have to choose the highest paying trade to make good money. A whole world of compelling options is available to you. So take a few moments to explore the training possibilities offered in your location. Simply type in your zip code right now to get started!